Allium plant named &#39;Medusa&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of ornamental onion plant named  Allium  ‘Medusa’ compact habit, glaucous, upright, stiff, strap-like, flattened, gray-green foliage with longitudinal twisting and numerous, tightly-clustered, purple flowers forming long-blooming globose umbels and scapes that typically begin development pointing toward the ground.

Botanical classification: Allium hybrid (Linnaeus).

Variety denomination: ‘Medusa’.

BACKGROUND AND ORIGIN OF THE PLANT

The present invention relates to the new and distinct ornamental onion,Allium ‘Medusa’ developed and discovered by the inventor at a privategarden in Waseca, Minn., USA as the result of a chance cross between aproprietary unreleased selection of Allium senenscens subspecies glaucumand a proprietary unreleased selection of Allium tanguiticum. The plantwas originally discovered by the inventor in the summer of 2008. Allium‘Medusa’ has been successfully asexually propagated by bulb divisionmethod since 2009 at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich. andfound to be stable and produce identical plants that maintain the uniquecharacteristics of the original plant through multiple generations.

No plants of Allium ‘Medusa’ have been sold, in this country or anywherein the world, prior to the filing of this application, nor has anydisclosure of the new plant been made prior to the filing of thisapplication with the exception of that which was disclosed within oneyear of the filing of this application and was either derived directlyor indirectly from the inventor.

SUMMARY OF THE PLANT

Allium ‘Medusa’ differs from its parents as well as all other ornamentalonion known to the applicant. The most similar known Allium cultivars:Allium senenscens ‘Blue Eddy’ (not patented), Allium tanguiticum ‘SummerBeauty’ (not patented), ‘Back to School’ (not patented) and ‘Millenium’(not patented) and ‘Noneuq’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,115. ‘Blue Eddy’ hasa shorter leaves, flowers and overall habit and smaller flower globesand lighter colored flowers. ‘Summer Beauty’ is larger in habit, withless-twisted leaves and lighter flowers in larger umbels. ‘Back toSchool’ is shorter in habit, flowers later in the season and has foliagethat does not last as long in the season. ‘Millenium’ has broaderfoliage with less twisting, larger habit and larger umbels of lighterpurple. ‘Noneuq’ is more commonly known as ‘Balloon Banquet’ and isearlier blooming, shorter umbels and fewer flowers per inflorescence.

Allium ‘Medusa’ differs from these above cultivars and all unregisteredcultivars known to the inventor in that it has:

-   -   1. Glaucous, upright, stiff, strap-like, flattened, gray-green        foliage with longitudinal twisting.    -   2. Compact habit, drought tolerant, rabbit and deer resistant,        medium-sized clumps.    -   3. Numerous, tightly-clustered, purple flowers forming        long-blooming globose umbel.    -   4. Young peduncles inverted and becoming upright to slightly        curved in maturity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photographs of the new plant demonstrate the overall appearance ofthe plant, including the unique traits. The colors are as accurate asreasonably possible with color reproductions. Ambient light spectrum,source and direction may cause the appearance of minor variation incolor.

FIG. 1 shows a close-up of the umbel.

FIG. 2 shows the side-view habit of the plant in midseason.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions and color references are based on the 2001edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except wherecommon dictionary terms are used. The new plant, Allium ‘Medusa’, hasnot been observed under all possible environments. The phenotype mayvary slightly with different environmental conditions, such astemperature, light, fertility, moisture and maturity levels, but withoutany change in the genotype. The following observations and sizedescriptions are of a three-year-old plant in a trial garden of awholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich. under full sun withsupplemental water and fertilizer as needed.

-   Botanical classification: Allium hybrid;-   Parentage: proprietary unreleased selection of Allium senenscens    subspecies glaucum (not patented) as the female or seed parent and    Allium tanguiticum as the male or pollen parent;-   Propagation method: by garden division;-   Growth rate: vigorous, flowering in 4 liter containers in about 12    weeks;-   Rooting habit: fibrous from base of bulbs, lightly branching; color    nearest RHS 158C;-   Plant description: dense clump of bulbs with foliage about 55.0 cm    across and about 28.0 cm tall; flowering to about 55.0 cm tall;-   Bulbs: elongated conical shape; about 4.5 cm long and 1.0 cm    diameter at base; about 85 per plant;-   Leaves: sessile; linear; glaucous, glabrous dull surfaces;    semi-succulent; simple, entire; sharply acute apex, truncate base;    twisted longitudinally 360° to 450° ; slightly concavo-convex; about    24.0 cm long and about 7.0 mm diameter at base; arranged in    two-ranked tuffs from bulb; fragrance onion-scented;-   Leaf color: mature and expanding leaves same; both surfaces between    RHS 137A and RHS 137B distally with base nearest RHS 146D;-   Leaf venation: parallel; color same as leaf abaxial and adaxial;-   Inflorescence: in terminal umbel; about 234 to 312 flowers per stem;    about 60 to 70 stems per plant; slightly flattened globe, about 5.5    cm across and about 4.5 cm tall; lasting about four weeks;    onion-like fragrance;-   Flowers: campanulate; incomplete, with two sets of three tepals,    outer set smaller than inner; inferior ovary; actinomorphic; upward    and outwardly facing depending on position in umbel; individually    effective about four to six days;-   Tepals (outer set): convex; glabrous; acute apex, truncate base;    about 5.0 mm long and about 2.0 m across;-   Tepal (inner set): flat; glabrous; acute apex, broadly acute base;    about 6.0 mm long and about 3.0 mm across;-   Tepal color (outer set): abaxial and adaxial apex nearest RHS 77A,    both surfaces lightening to between RHS 77B and RHS 77C at base;-   Tepal color (inner set): abaxial and adaxial nearest RHS 77B;-   Buds one day prior to opening: conical, slightly flattened on three    sides; rounded base, acute apex; about 7.0 mm long and about 4.0 mm    diameter at widest point;-   Bud color: nearest RHS 77A at petal apex and lightening to nearest    RHS 77B in middle and nearest RHS 77C at base;-   Pedicel: terete; stiff, upward and outwardly facing depending on    orientation in umbel; glabrous; glaucous; about 15.0 mm long and    about 0.5 mm diameter;-   Pedicel color: between RHS 138A and RHS 138B;-   Peduncle: glabrous, glaucous; flattened trapezoid in cross-section;    about 49 cm long and base about 7.5 mm wide at thicker side and    about 5.0 mm on narrower side; as immature inflorescence pointing    downward, becoming erect to slightly curving near top when in    flower; prior to all flowers opening distal 3.0 to 5.0 cm curled    downward 180° from vertical;-   Gynoecium: Style: single, cylindrical, glabrous, about 2.0 expanding    to 4.5 mm long and about 0.5 mm across when mature; color nearest    RHS 77C;    -   -   Stigma.—globose; about 0.4 mm across; color lighter than RHS            77D.        -   Ovary.—distinctly tri-carpeled; obcordate, widest at apex            and narrowest at base; about 3.0 mm long and 2.0 mm across            at apex and 1.0 mm across at base; color nearest RHS 77B at            apex and nearest RHS 77C at base.-   Androecium: five;    -   -   Anther.—oblong; about 1.7 mm long and about 0.7 mm wide;            dorsifixed; longitudinal; color nearest RHS 186C.        -   Filament.—exserted; glabrous; about 7.0 mm long and 1.0 mm            at base; color nearest RHS 77A at apex and lightening to            nearest RHS 77C at base.        -   Pollen.—abundant; color nearest RHS 160C.-   Fruit: tri-valved loculicidal capsule; about 4.0 mm long and 3.0 mm    across; typically dehiscing to within about 1.0 mm of base; one to    three seeded; color upon maturity nearest RHS 199D;-   Seed: elliptic, flattened along one long side; about 2.5 mm long and    about 1.5 mm across; color nearest RHS 202A;-   Disease resistance: Ornamental onions typically resist deer and    rabbit feeding. Resistance beyond that of other ornamental onion has    not been observed. The plant grows best with good drainage and is    able to tolerate some drought when established. Hardiness at least    from USDA zone 4 through 8.

I claim: A new and distinct cultivar of ornamental onion plant named Allium ‘Medusa’ as herein described and illustrated, suitable as a potted plant, for the garden, and for cut flower arrangements. 